


Beyond the Surface

by ohsehunseoul



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Jongin needs to be taken down a notch, M/M, Rich Jongin, Sehun is Jongin's best friend, The Kims are super spoiled, Woodworker Kyungsoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:08:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28902396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohsehunseoul/pseuds/ohsehunseoul
Summary: Kim Jongin had never experienced anything short of perfect. His parents pampered him and taught him to never accept anything that wasn't up to his standards. Thus, the Kim family  could be easily considered "spoiled" or "privileged". Thanks to Jongin's great-great grandfather's woodworking business, they could act any way they wanted. However, when one of the woodworkers at the business gets injured, the family company is short on help. Jongin's father doubts his son's abilities, but begrudgingly assigns him the tasks of keeping things in order at the business. Cue Jongin meeting the top woodworker, Do Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo is nothing like him. Kyungsoo doesn't have a personal chef, he isn't rich, his family doesn't come from money and, most importantly, Kyungsoo actually has talent. Jongin doesn't see how Kyungsoo does it, but every day spent with the artist brings Jongin down a notch and makes the male realize that he is capable of more then he thinks. Maybe he could make something of himself after all.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43
Collections: Kaisoo OLAO Chapter Three





	Beyond the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope the prompter enjoys my rendition of their prompt and, as always, thank you to the mods!

"Please remove your tie. It needs to be pressed again." Jongin's stylist sighed while he approached the male and reached for his tie. "You must be more careful."

"I'm sorry, Sehun." Jongin frowned. "I was trying to find something in my briefcase. My cell phone seems to be missing."

Sehun took Jongin's tie into his hands and scanned the room.

"You mean your cell phone that is plugged in right there?" Sehun nodded in the direction of a mahogany dresser Jongin had in his walk-in closet.

"Ah, yes." Jongin responded. "Thank you."

Jongin made his way to the dresser and unplugged his phone. He was already running late for the meeting he had with his father. Jongin never thought he would have to schedule appointments with his father, but that's how things went.

Calling Jongin wealthy was an understatement. He and his brother, Junmyeon, were expected to run the company when Jongin's father stepped down. Kim Sungho was strict and only expected the best of the best. Jongin's mother was no different. Kim Bomi had always dressed to the nines, and she expected the rest of her family to do so as well. Although she was nearing her fifties, she could easily be considered as thirty to strangers. Jongin's parents bought his affection with tangible items. Jongin remembered always getting what he wanted and learned that money was indeed powerful. Jongin loved his parents, he really did. Sometimes, Jongin felt like he wouldn't live up to their standards, so he put on a mask around them. He tried to be as professional as possible. Jongin was lucky that he was close with his stylist, Oh Sehun. Sehun was close in age to Jongin, both of them being twenty-four, so it was easy for Sehun to develop a strong friendship with the other male. Sehun didn't come from wealth, but the Ohs were family friends and the Kims essentially took Sehun in when Sehun's parents moved to America.

Jongin pocketed his phone when he saw Sehun approaching with a pristine looking tie. Sehun put the tie on Jongin and fixed the older's suit jacket before backing away.

"I heard the car arriving for you." Sehun said. "You should head out. They know where to take you."

"The business?" Jongin questioned. He had never been at the business for an extended amount of time. The Kim's owned a woodworking company that was passed down by Jongin's great-great grandfather. His name was Kim Jihoon and Jongin had heard great things about the man from his late grandfather. The business started out as nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall store that made custom furniture. Over time, the ornate hand-carved designs Jongin's great-great grandfather created in the wood of the furniture gained popularity. The furniture was sought out by all. So much so that the business expanded into making sculptures and wood carved paintings. Currently, the furniture was a must for anyone who could afford it. The location of the business, Aleumdabge hada, had expanded slightly, but the Kims wanted to keep it as traditional as possible. A second building had been built next to the business, and the woodwork was done there.

"No, you're having dinner with your father at a restaurant." Sehun said.

Jongin made a face. "Which restaurant?"

"I don't know." Sehun responded. "You'll have to ask your father."

Jongin groaned. "I hope it's five-star." He said. "I don't really feel comfortable eating there."

Sehun had to fight to not roll his eyes. "It's your father. Do you really think he would choose a low-quality restaurant?"

"I guess not." Jongin shrugged. "I would prefer to eat here. Mr. Byun's food is my favorite."

"Well, you can have Mr. Byun's food for breakfast tomorrow." Sehun placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Fine." Jongin went and picked up his briefcase.

Jongin went to the car and entered once the door was opened for him. He noted that his brother wasn't already in the car. Maybe he had left earlier. It didn't matter. Junmyeon wasn't concerned about the business, anyway.

When Jongin got to the restaurant, he sighed in relief. At least it looked nice from the outside. He entered the restaurant and was led to a table in the back, where Jongin's mother and father were waiting.

"Jongin." Mrs. Kim stood up and bowed when she saw her son. "Take a seat."

Jongin nodded and sat across from his father.

"What is the meeting for?" Jongin asked.

"It's about Junmyeon." Mr. Kim responded. "He is going to be in Hong Kong for a while. We found a possible new import for some woods and he needs to survey to see if they are worthy before we make a deal with them."

"Oh." Jongin set his briefcase on the chair next to him. "That's good."

Mr. Kim hummed. "Yes. So, there will be a lot more responsibility on you, since he will not be back for some time."

Jongin quirked a brow. "How so?" He asked.

"I said sparking, please." Mr. Kim eyed the waiter who set a glass of water in front of him. "With lemon."

"Sorry, sir." The waiter scurried away.

"You need to keep an eye on the orders and books. Check the emails and make note of inventory. We already have people placing orders years in advance, so we do not want to let them down. We got an order for a furniture set about nine months ago. It's just starting to be made and we can't disappoint the purchasers. It's going all of the way to Europe. The order is a bedroom set of eight pieces with a custom carved headboard, and they were more than willing to pay 139,800,000 won. Our craftsmen do the best work possible, so they do not have time to keep inventory and check emails." Mr. Kim folded his hands on the table.

"The shipping alone is nearly 8,000 GBP." Mrs. Kim added.

"I can do it." Jongin said. He could prove his capabilities to his parents if he did everything perfectly.

Mrs. Kim smiled. "That's our boy."

"Oh, how was the car?" Mr. Kim asked. "Everything was okay?"

"Yes." Jongin nodded. "It wasn't luxury, but the drive was smooth."

"We'll get you a better one next time." Mrs. Kim placed her hand on top of her son's hand.

"Thanks." Jongin smiled.

Some idle chatter filled the room while the family waited for their meals. Once the food got there, they began to eat.

"Could be better." Jongin poked at the piece of meat on his plate.

"For imported beef, this tastes pretty local." Mr. Kim set down his fork. "Mr. Im recommended this place and said we would love it."

"Such a shame." Mrs. Kim wiped her mouth with a napkin, transferring a small amount of lipstick onto the fabric.

"I'll have to have a stern talk with him. If we get sick, I will not hesitate to fire him." Mr. Kim pushed the plate away. "I guess I shouldn't have expected much from my driver. He probably doesn't have the expectations we have."

"He lives in a rural part of town, honey. This is probably luxury to him. We should not take his word." Mrs. Kim said.

Jongin wished he was eating at home.

"I th-" Mr. Kim was cut off by his phone ringing.

"Mr. Do, I informed you I would be with my family." Mr. Kim said. "What is so important?"

Pause.

"Oh my, is that so?" Mr. Kim began to stand up. "I will be there in a moment. Please be patient."

Mr. Kim hung up his phone.

"There has been an accident at the business." Mr. Kim said to his family.

"What happened?" Mrs. Kim got up.

"I will go find out. Honey, you go home and relax in the sauna. It's been a long day for you. I'll take Jongin." Mr. Kim picked up his briefcase.

"Me?" Jongin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes." Mr. Kim responded. "Your responsibilities start now."

All Jongin could do was oblige. He got up and followed his father to a car.

Once they got to the business, Mr. Kim and Jongin hurried out.

"He said they are in the second building." Mr. Kim led Jongin to the larger building that Jongin knew as the one where the furniture was actually made.

Just as they were about to enter, the door opened to reveal a male Jongin had never seen before. He was shorter than Jongin and his clothes had remnants of wood shavings on them. His hair was nicely styled with a few pieces falling onto his forehead. He had large welcoming eyes and a pair of glasses that were coming dangerously close to falling off of his face.

"I'm so sorry for the interruption, Mr. Kim." The male fixed his glasses. "I didn't know what to do."

"What happened?" Mr. Kim tried to look past the male to examine the accident.

"The pallet of wood got knocked over while being imported into the building and Chanyeol got pinned down by the wood. His arm has to be broken." He opened the door more, so Mr. Kim could enter. "Please take a look."

The male must have not noticed Jongin and nearly closed the door on him. He quickly bowed apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't see you. You must be Kim Jongin." He said. "I'm the head craftsman, Do Kyungsoo."

Jongin bowed back. "Nice to meet you."

Jongin and Mr. Kim followed Kyungsoo to where the male, presumably Chanyeol, was sitting in a chair. His face was twisted into a pained expression.

"Mr. Park, where does it hurt?" Mr. Kim asked.

"Have you already called an ambulance?" Jongin asked Kyungsoo.

"No." Mr. Kim turned around to glare at his son. "Do you know how filthy the hospital is? This is why you need proper learning and experience, Jongin. We do  
go to the regular hospital. I have a private doctor I will take him to."

Jongin's shoulders dropped. "You're right."

"I know I am." Mr. Kim said. "Call Mr. Lee for me." He turned back to Chanyeol. "We'll get you taken care of, don't worry."

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." Chanyeol forced a smile.

Jongin excused himself to call Mr. Lee and informed him of the situation.

"Thirty minutes." Jongin said.

"Okay, I will take Mr. Park in the car we have now and you will go home with Mr. Lee." Mr. Kim said. "Help me with Mr. Park."

"Would you like help?" Kyungsoo asked Jongin's father.

"Don't worry." Mr. Kim smiled at Kyungsoo. "Before I go," He turned to Jongin, "We need to have a talk later. You will be surveying the location and assuring everything is okay for the time being. If he truly has a broken arm, there will be a huge delay in orders. You will be coming here every day. I will provide you with a schedule when you get home."

Jongin didn't know what to say. Instead, he nodded and helped with Chanyeol.

"Please inform him a bit about the work that you do until the car arrives, Mr. Do." Mr. Kim said to Kyungsoo.

"Sure." Kyungsoo responded.

Jongin helped bring Chanyeol to the car and watched them drive away.

"Umm," Kyungsoo's voice said from behind him, "I apologize for not providing you with a formal introduction. I believe I have only met your brother, Mr. Kim Junmyeon."

Jongin nodded. "Most likely." He said. "Since I am the younger son, my father has been apprehensive about allowing me to be more involved in the business. "

"Follow me," Kyungsoo turned and walked toward the building, "I'll show you around."

As they were walking, Jongin felt uncomfortable. There were wood shavings everywhere and he could feel them cling to the fabric of his jacket. To distract himself, Jongin figured he could start a conversation with the craftsman.

"So, how long have you worked here?" Jongin asked.

Kyungsoo stole a glance at him before answering. "It's been seven years, I want to say. I started here when I was eighteen."

"Did you know my grandfather? Jongin responded.

"Sure did." Kyungsoo stopped in front of a table full of instruments meant for carving wood. "He was a great man. Taught me everything I know."

"You said your last name was Do, right? As in the Do jewelers? Or perhaps the Do clothing company?" Jongin scanned the table.

"No," Kyungsoo chuckled, "I don't come from money. My dad owns a convenience store in Itaewon and my mother teaches at a middle school."

"Oh." Jongin responded. "How, no offense, but how did you get involved in woodworking then? And how did you meet my grandfather?"

"I've always had an interest in art and ceramics. I won a competition when I was younger and we had the next competition with schools all around South Korea not far from here. Your grandfather was a special guest for the ceramic part of the competition and approached me after. He told me that he wanted to mentor me once I graduated. And, well, the rest is history." Kyungsoo smiled at the memory.

"That's great." Jongin waved away particles in the air that were obstructing his view.

"Well, this is where I do some of the crafting. The bigger things are done at the other tables over there," Kyungsoo pointed to the corner of the room, "Or on the floor." He ushered Jongin to a wall of assorted woods. "This is where we get the wood we use. The other supplies are in the back room. The clay for ceramics must be kept in a humid environment, so it isn't suitable for being out here." He said. "There's a lot more that goes on around here, but there isn't much time. The room may be small, but a lot goes on here, as I said."

Jongin checked his watch. Still twenty minutes left. He sighed.

"Tell me something about you. I guess we will be spending quite a bit of time together, so maybe we can become a bit more familiar with each other." Kyungsoo leaned against his workbench.

"Uh," Jongin paused, "I like dogs. And, well, I also like Italian food and traveling."

Kyungsoo quirked a brow. "That's it? Give me some examples. What food specifically? And where have you traveled that you like best?"

"I like my personal chef's food. He is very experienced, so he always knows what will please my tastes. He's even gone on vacation with me. Sometimes, I can't trust the food from other countries."

"With all due respect, you bring a chef to countries that have so many amazing and unique foods? I quite enjoy cooking, but I would jump on the opportunity to try foods all around the world. I haven't even left the Seoul area, let alone explored the world." Kyungsoo said.

"He can make the same thing." Jongin waved away the comment. He watched Kyungsoo fiddle with a tool on the bench. "Let me see your hands."

"What?" Kyungsoo eyed Jongin curiously.

"Your hands." Jongin responded.

"Uh, alright." Kyungsoo held out his hands.

"For working with wood all day, your hands don't seem to be in bad shape. Or dry. Doesn't the clay dry out your hands?" Jongin flipped over Kyungsoo's right hand.

"I wear gloves when working with wood. I've gotten one too many splinters to learn my lesson. The clay isn't exceptionally dry, especially since I don't keep it on my hands for an extended period of time." Kyungsoo folded his hands together.

"Hm." Jongin said.

"Do you like art? Of any kind." Kyungsoo asked the younger.

"It's pretty to look at. I always thought I would hurt myself if I tried. Pottery has always been exceptionally pretty to me." Jongin responded.

"Why don't you try one of these days?" Kyungsoo suggested.

"Oh, no." Jongin shook his hands. "I would hurt myself."

"I can promise you that you won't. I'll help you and make sure of it." Kyungsoo smiled.

Before Jongin could respond, the sound of a car horn beeping came from outside. Jongin gathered his belongings and turned to Kyungsoo before leaving the studio. "I'll think about it. See you tomorrow."

...

Jongin groaned when he heard his alarm go off in the morning. It was the first time in years he had to set one. Usually, he could get up whenever he wanted.

Jongin forced himself out of bed and into the shower. When he was finished, Jongin threw on a pair of boxers and Sehun entered the room, almost as if on cue.

"Good morning, Jongin." Sehun said. "Shall we put you in something more comfortable, since you will be at the business studio today?"

Jongin shook his head. "I won't be doing any physical labor." He said. "A suit is fine."

Sehun shrugged and walked towards Jongin's closet. "Isn't Mr. Do working by himself? Maybe he could use some help."

"I think he will be fine." Jongin replied. "That's not my field of expertise."

"Alright." Sehun knew there was no point in arguing. "We will put you in the set from Seoul Fashion Week. How does that sound?"

"You mean the suit from the Spring event?" Jongin questioned. "That suit is last season and very out of fashion."

"I just saw Kim Taehyung wearing one on television in the emerald color variant. It is very much still in fashion." Sehun retorted.

"Whatever." Jongin said. "You're the fashion expert. Go ahead and pull it out."

Jongin got dressed and styled his hair before filling his briefcase with the essentials.

"How was the studio?" Sehun relaxed against one of the walls of Jongin's room. "I have heard such great things about the employees."

"Well, I didn't really meet Chanyeol. Kyungsoo is nice enough, though." Jongin closed his briefcase. "For not coming from money, he sure takes care of himself pretty well."

"You don't have to come from money to be able to take care of yourself. I'm sure he's a very humble person who presents himself well, given who he works for." Sehun crossed his arms.

"Maybe." Jongin shrugged. "I'll see him again today."

"Oh, your breakfast is ready." Sehun adjusted his posture. "It's a traditional breakfast today. I hope that's okay."

"If Mr. Byun made it, it's okay for me." Jongin smiled. "Join me?"

Jongin finished eating and was driven to the business. He hadn't seen either of his parents since the previous night, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes Jongin would go weeks without seeing them.

Jongin exited the car and waved to the driver as they left. He took in a deep breath and entered the building. As expected, Kyungsoo was there. He seemed to be so focused on his work that he didn't notice Jongin enter.

Jongin watched Kyungsoo meticulously carve a piece of wood with the same ornate designs that already decorated other parts of the material. The craftsman set down his tool and picked up a can of compressed air to blow away the wood particles. When he set the canister back down, he finally looked up and noticed Jongin.

"Oh," Kyungsoo set down the project he was working on and made his way over to Jongin, "I'm sorry. I didn't notice you were here."

Kyungsoo looked drained. Jongin knew all of the work that would take two people a long time to make was on Kyungsoo's shoulders.

"What time did you go home, Kyungsoo?" Jongin asked. It looked like he may have stayed all night.

"Uh," Kyungsoo lifted up his forearm to examine his watch, "I, well, I didn't."

"You have been working all night?" Jongin's eyes widened in surprise. "Why?"

Kyungsoo sighed. "There's so much work to do." He said. "But that's nothing for you to worry about. I apologize for being quite disheveled."

Jongin shook his head. "Don't apologize. Please go home and rest."

"I don't mean to go against you," Kyungsoo responded, "But I cannot do that."

Jongin eyed the shorter. He must have been working on fumes.

"Well," Jongin tapped his foot, "At least go and clean up. You'll feel better if you do."

"I can do that here." Kyungsoo said. "Your great-grandfather used to live in the main building, so there is a full bathroom inside."

"Okay." Jongin nodded. "Go ahead. I'll, um, are you hungry?"

"It's okay." Kyungsoo smiled softly. "I can make something in the kitchen."

"No, you need to relax. Just for a little, okay?" Jongin tested the shorter's expression. "I'll go get something. I know there are some places close to here."

Kyungsoo chuckled. "You don't have to do that."

"I insist." Jongin was adamant. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

Before Kyungsoo could respond, Jongin was out the door. He knew his parents would be upset if they found out he went out without a driver. His family was extremely conceited and they were convinced they would have people approach them as if they were celebrities. Jongin never believed that to be true, but he couldn't remember the last time he had gone out and enjoyed himself. When his family went out, it was usually to go shopping in luxury stores, or to go on their private jet to wherever his parents told him they were going to go.

Jongin found a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant not too far from the business. He went inside and took in his surroundings. It felt cozy in the small restaurant.

The older woman at the counter greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, there." She said. "Wow, don't you look so handsome? Special event?"

"Something like that." Jongin responded with a smile. "Can I please order something?"

"What would you like?" She asked, turning to point at the menu behind her.

"Uh," Jongin hesitated. He had no idea what Kyungsoo liked, "Can you choose for me? Whatever you think is best."

"Okay, not a problem." The woman said. "You can wait at one of the tables and we will have it brought to you as soon as possible. It is to go, yes?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you." Jongin responded.

The woman nodded and made her way to the kitchen. Jongin waited patiently until the woman brought his food out. He paid and headed back to the company.

Jongin entered the main building, a small bell on the door chiming as he made his way in.

Not long after, Kyungsoo appeared from the back.

"Sorry about th-oh. Hello, Jongin." Kyungsoo looked up from buttoning his shirt. He must have thought that the bell indicated a customer was there.

"Here you go." Jongin set the bags of food on the counter. "I don't know what you like, so I asked the woman at the restaurant to choose."

"Oh, wow." Kyungsoo looked into the bags. "You're eating too, yes? This is a lot of food. How much was it?"

"Don't worry about the price." Jongin waved his hands dismissively at the question.

"I would argue about that, but I have a feeling you won't budge." Kyungsoo said. "I'll get some bowls. Actually, you can come to the back room with me."

Jongin picked up the bags and followed Kyungsoo. Sure enough, there was a small room, similar to a studio apartment. It had a kitchen, a bed, a bathroom, and a table. Jongin scanned the room.

"My great-grandfather lived here?" Jongin questioned. He set the bags on the table.

"He did." Kyungsoo went into the cabinets in the kitchen and pulled out some bowls. "Everything is the same, minus the kitchen appliances and mattress, of course."

"Wow." Jongin replied. "That's amazing."

"Right?" Kyungsoo smiled. He set down two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. "If you need anything else, you can ask me, or check the kitchen."

Jongin looked down at the two bowls and furrowed his brow. He had never eaten food from a cheap restaurant. He didn't even know what he ordered. Truth be told, Jongin didn't eat much earlier and he was relatively hungry, but he didn't think to bring a meal made by Mr. Byun to have while he was at the business.

"I, uh, I don't know what it is." Jongin said.

"Well," Kyungsoo took the two large containers out of the bags. He opened the tops of both, "Eomuk Guk and enough gimbap to feed the Korean army." He said. "And there's a bag of steamed buns, as well as a small container of tteokbokki."

When Jongin didn't respond, Kyungsoo looked up at him. He wanted to laugh when he saw Jongin's expression.

"You've...never had any of this? Surely you have...right?" Kyungsoo raised a brow. "I know it's not your chef's food, but it looks great."

"Not from a place like that." Jongin shook his head.

"I lived off of this stuff." Kyungsoo said. "But I understand that our upbringings are different. Do you want me to order you something for delivery?" He asked, no malice in his tone.

Jongin was afraid of coming off as uptight and, maybe he did, but Kyungsoo didn't hold it against him.

"No, no." Jongin took a seat. "It's okay."

"Are you sure?" Kyungsoo eyed him incredulously.

"I am." Jongin nodded. "Don't worry."

Kyungsoo gave Jongin his utensils and Jongin watched Kyungsoo try it before taking some of the tteokbokki in between his chopsticks.

Jongin didn't know why he was so afraid of the food. It was incredible. It felt home-made and he was glad to see the pleased expression on Kyungsoo's face when he gave a nod of approval.

While they were eating, the two talked.

"So, how far do you live from here?" Jongin asked the craftsman.

"Not far. It's about a fifteen minute bike ride." Kyungsoo said. "A little bit of a longer walk when it's raining, which looks like it is going to happen very soon."

"Yeah, I heard there are going to be storms tonight." Jongin responded. "I guess we will have to wait and see."

"It's a shame you never had the chance to come here before." Kyungsoo took a piece of gimbap in between his chopsticks. "Maybe I could have gotten you comfortable with ceramics by now."

Jongin chucked. "Maybe." He said. "Oh, by the way, you said you started here seven years ago at eighteen, right?"

"Yep.." Kyungsoo confirmed.

"Ah, that's what I thought. So then, you're my hyung," Jongin said. "Given I’m a year younger than you."

"I'll treat you well, then." Kyungsoo smiled at Jongin. "I'm going to finish up. There's a lot to be done. We only had five of the eight pieces done before Chanyeol got hurt."

Jongin watched Kyungsoo as he excused himself. Jongin eyed the leftover containers in front of him. He always had people to clean up after him, so he never considered the mess they had to deal with. Jongin felt badly when he contemplated leaving the containers and bowls out for Kyungsoo to clean up, so he removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves before cleaning up.

When Jongin was nearly finished, he heard Kyungsoo behind him.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." Kyungsoo said. "I could have."

"It's no problem." Jongin quickly glanced back at Kyungsoo. He turned off the sink and dried up his hands. "Lead the way to the studio?"

Kyungsoo gave a firm nod before heading out, Jongin following suit.

"Well, I should continue this piece." Kyungsoo stopped in front of the table where part of the headboard he was carving was placed against. He ran his finger along one of the legs of the bed placed on the table. "For inventory, I usually keep track as best as I can. There are clipboards on the walls next to all of the products. You can just keep an eye on what I use and deduct that from the inventory. It should be a lot easier for you that way."

"Thanks. You're making this really easy for me." Jongin said. "I feel like I'm not making myself very useful."

Kyungsoo chuckled. "You're more than welcome to try throwing a pot, or practicing carving on some scrap wood." He eyed the younger sympathetically. "I'm sorry. This probably isn't how you want to spend your time, cooped up in some studio with a guy you barely know. You probably have much better things to do."

"Not really." Jongin laughed. "I don't know if it's because I'm the youngest, but my parents don't really allow me to do too much. I know I'm an adult, but they insist I live under their roof, so I follow their rules. The only person I really have is my stylist, who luckily happens to also be my friend. It can get kind of boring."

Kyungsoo put on his gloves as he listened to Jongin. "I'm sorry. It must be tough. I know your father travels a lot."

"Yeah." Jongin breathed out. He sat on one of the stools in front of a pottery wheel. "All he wants is for me to marry into another successful family and carry on the Kim name. He wants the same for my brother, too."

"I was sure the two of you were already married." Kyungsoo picked up his tool and adjusted his glasses. "Forgive me for assuming."

"Junmyeon has no interest in relationships or marriage." Jongin said. "But, since he is older, my father doesn't want to push him. He's always trying to get me to meet someone."

"Are you dating anyone?" Kyungsoo asked, still focused on his work. "Someone like you doesn't stay single long, I'm sure."

Jongin shook his head before quickly realizing Kyungsoo couldn't see the action. "No." He replied. "I've been on too many blind dates and I either couldn’t reciprocate the feelings those women have towards me, or we were both forced to go on a blind date."

"You'll find someone." Kyungsoo assured the younger. "I'm sure your father just wants you to be happy, so the person you find yourself attracted to will probably be loved by your family."

Jongin tried not to scoff. "I don't know about that. There are many reasons why that won't be the case. Anyway, what about you? Are you married?" He asked, desperate to take the focus off of him.

"No." Kyungsoo said. "Not married, but I am in a relationship."

"Oh really?" Jongin's interest was piqued. "What is she like?"

"Well, they're a photographer. They spend a lot of time away from the city, but they try to call and see me as much as possible. They're actually getting back in town today."

"That's great." Jongin smiled. "I hope she can treat you well." He said. "You seem like a very kind person, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo looked up from his work and smiled warmly at Jongin. "Thank you, Jongin."

The two fell into a comfortable silence for some time. Jongin found himself getting extremely bored with nothing to do. His phone wasn't any entertainment, and the sound of rain was the only thing he could focus on.

"Hey, Jongin?" Kyungsoo tapped the younger's shoulder, who jumped. "Sorry!" Kyungsoo stood back.

"Oh, sorry." Jongin smiled apologetically at the craftsman. "I zoned out."

"Do you want to try something?" Kyungsoo asked. "Maybe you'll have some fun. Remember the scrap wood I mentioned earlier? How about you try carving something? It's pretty therapeutic."

"I'm not really artistic." Jongin responded.

"I'm sure that's not true." Kyungsoo reached out his hand for Jongin to take. "Follow me."

Kyungsoo led Jongin over to the scrap wood and told Jongin to pick out a piece. Next, Kyungsoo led Jongin to the table next to his and showed him the tools, briefly explaining what each of them did.

"And," Kyungsoo handed Jongin a pencil, "This will be your favorite tool here. You'll be surprised at how much a sketch can help you before you carve. Just be aware of negative space."

Jongin watched Kyungsoo incredulously and the older gave him a comforting pat on the back.

Kyungsoo walked back to his table. "Don't forget gloves!" He said to Jongin before picking up his tools.

...

The day passed surprisingly quickly once Jongin started carving. Kyungsoo was right, it was fun and helped relax him. He chatted with Kyungsoo throughout the day and decided that he was really glad Kyungsoo was part of the business.

"It's been a long day." Jongin took off his gloves. "You need to go home."

"For once, I'll agree with stopping." Kyungsoo responded. "You're coming tomorrow too, right?"

"If that's okay with you." Jongin responded.

"Of course." Kyungsoo walked up to Jongin's work. His jaw dropped when he saw the carvings. "Jongin, you're incredible. These are beautiful." He said.

Jongin rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling shy about the compliment. "They're not."

Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin. "Yes, they really are. If you continue like this, you could work on the furniture with me, if you want."

"For something that expensive? I don't know." Jongin frowned. "I would mess it up."

"You want to hear the truth?" Kyungsoo asked. "I make mistakes, but there are so many ways to fix them. Plus, I'll be by your side and you can ask me for tips whenever." He said. "Maybe we could even work on some pottery together if we finish early."

Jongin couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that." He said.

"Well, I'll finish getting everything cleaned up and then I'll g-" Kyungsoo was cut off by the booming sound of thunder, followed by lightning soon after.

"Let me help you." Jongin said. "I'll call the driver after and we will drop you off on the way. You're not walking or biking in this weather."

"Oh, no, I couldn't." Kyungsoo responded. "Thank you, though."

"I insist." Jongin was adamant. "Please."

Kyungsoo sighed.

Just as Jongin promised, he helped Kyungsoo clean everything and called the driver. Once he hung up, he looked over to Kyungsoo, who was sitting on the couch in the back room of the business.

"The driver said there is some flooding, so it may be quite some time. The only driver available is about an hour away, not including the delays from the storm." Jongin pocketed his phone. "I know your girlfriend just got back, so I'm sorry for making you wait."

"Jongin, you're doing me a favor." Kyungsoo said. "Please don't apologize."

Jongin sat down next to Kyungsoo and leaned his head back onto the cushions.

Kyungsoo followed suit and looked at Jongin. "Are you hungry?" He asked.

Jongin hummed. "Kind of. Would you like me to get you something?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted me to prepare something. Like I said, I often stay here for long periods of time, so I have meals or ingredients in the kitchen. I know I'm not your personal chef, but I hope the food I make will live up to your standards."

"You've been up all day." Jongin said. "Don't worry."

"I insist." Kyungsoo stood up. "It's really relaxing."

Jongin couldn't argue with Kyungsoo. He let the older get up and watched him the whole time he was preparing a meal for them.

Once the meal was complete, the two sat down together and ate. Jongin raved about the food and began to feel regret about not trying all of the amazing foods he had the opportunity to try while abroad. He also felt badly that Kyungsoo had never been to any of the places he was fortunate enough to go to because he wanted the older to try and experience the foods and cultures.

Jongin told Kyungsoo to sit down while he cleaned up and smiled to himself when he went back to the couch after he was finished cleaning to see the craftsman sleeping.

Jongin let Kyungsoo rest until the driver got there. Jongin loaded up Kyungsoo's bicycle into the car and grabbed an umbrella from the trunk to bring Kyungsoo to the car.

"Hey," Jongin lightly tapped Kyungsoo's shoulder, "The car is here, Kyungsoo. Let's get you home."

Kyungsoo opened his eyes slightly and examined the younger in front of him before jolting awake and apologizing to Jongin.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep." Kyungsoo said.

"Don't apologize." Jongin shook his head. "I'm glad you did."

Jongin ushered Kyungsoo into the back seat with him.

"My bike." Kyungsoo said as Jongin got into the seat next to him.

"I already put it in the car." Jongin closed the umbrella. "What's your address, so I can tell the driver?"

Kyungsoo relayed his address and the driver took Kyungsoo to his apartment. When they were outside, Jongin began to get out of the car.

"I can do the rest from here." Kyungsoo said. "You've done a lot."

"It's okay, Kyungsoo. I want to do this, you aren't forcing me to." Jongin opened the umbrella and got the bike out of the trunk. He used one hand to guide the bike and the other held the umbrella. He collected Kyungsoo at the other door. Jongin carried Kyungsoo's bike into the complex and up the stairs. Kyungsoo wanted to tell him it was okay, but he didn't want to seem ungrateful for everything Jongin was doing for him.

Once they were outside of Kyungsoo's door, Jongin placed the bicycle against the wall next to his door and set the umbrella down close to it.

"Do you have an umbrella at home?" Jongin asked.

"It broke recently. I'll get a new one tomorrow." Kyungsoo responded.

"Keep this one." Jongin looked at the older. "I have plenty."

"But, you're going back outside. You'll get wet."

"I'll be okay. I have my jacket." Jongin luckily remembered it before leaving the business.

"Anyway-" Kyungsoo was cut off by the door to his apartment opening.

Jongin was surprised to see a male, slightly shorter than him and with blonde hair standing in the doorframe.

"Long time no see, babe." The male said. "I heard you outside. You should hide your apartment key better." He winked at Kyungsoo.

The male didn't seem to notice Jongin until Kyungsoo looked over at him.

"Uh, hi." Jongin eyed the male.

"Oh, hi." The male examined Jongin from head to toe, a small grin forming on his face. "Who are you?"

"He's the son of my boss." Kyungsoo said, clearly uncomfortable.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" The blonde took Kyungsoo's hand and brought him over to his side.

"Yeah, sure." Kyungsoo couldn't look Jongin in the eye. "This is Jiwoon."

"Nice to meet you." Jongin bowed lightly. "Anyway, I'll get home. See you tomorrow, Kyungsoo."

"Okay. See you." Kyungsoo responded.

Jongin wondered why Kyungsoo seemed so nervous when he met Jiwoon the whole ride back home.

...

The next day at the business was similar to the day prior. Jognin continued to practice carving and was given some pointers from Kyungsoo. Near the end of the day, Jongin could tell that Kyungsoo was acting slightly off. Before he left, he stopped Kyungsoo.

"Are you alright?" Jongin asked. "You've acted a little different today."

"Uh," Kyungsoo paused, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act differently. I thought you may have been upset about yesterday."

"Upset about what?" Jongin tilted his head in curiosity. "I didn't mind the rain. It wasn't a long walk at all, I promise."

"Not about that." Kyungsoo shook his head. "About Jiwoon."

"What about him?" Jongin questioned.

"Well, you thought I had a girlfriend and I didn't correct you." Kyungsoo said. "I didn't know how you would react if you knew I was dating a man."

"Do people not know?" Jongin asked. Kyungsoo shook his head.

"It doesn't bother me." Jongin assured Kyungsoo. "Date who you want. It may seem unconventional to some, but not to me."

Kyungsoo looked like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

"Thanks, Jongin." He said.

Every day seemed more exciting for Jongin. He was getting the hang of carving and, although he had only been doing it for less than a week, Kyungsoo told him that he could start helping him on the actual pieces the next day.

Jongin got up that morning on his own. He had told Sehun to sleep in and that he would handle himself in the morning. He even told Mr. Byun to take it easy and that he would handle his meals.

Jongin went to the market before he went to the business. His mother and father were out of town for two days, so he took one of the cars and drove himself. It was a lot more freeing than being picked up and dropped off everywhere he went like he was a child. He mentally scolded himself for letting his posh upbringing get the best of him. 

Jongin picked up some groceries and put them into a designer backpack he had slung over his shoulder before heading back to his car. He drove to the studio and went to greet Kyungsoo. 

“Good morning.” Jongin set a can of coffee he bought at the market on Kyungsoo’s workbench. 

“Hey, Jongin.” Kyungsoo looked up from his work and smiled at the younger. “Did you have a good evening?”

“Definitely. I was really looking forward to carving with you today.” Jongin set down his bag haphazardly on one of the stools, causing Kyungsoo to cringe at how careless Jongin was with such an expensive item. 

“I’m looking forward to it as well.” Kyungsoo said. “Thank you, by the way. I should be the one buying you things.” Jongin made it a habit to get food for Kyungsoo whenever he could.

“That’s not true.” Jongin responded. “You’re an essential part of the company. I should be treating you. Also, I’ll be right back. I’m going to go put these in the kitchen.”

Jongin picked his bag before he excused himself and brought everything to the kitchen. He came back without his jacket on and was, instead, wearing a deep purple button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

“Over here.” Kyungsoo motioned Jongin over, where he already pulled up two seats. “I’ll show you the ropes of what I’m doing now.”

Kyungsoo instructed Jongin for a bit and was relieved to see that the younger caught on quickly. He watched Jongin for a little bit before he okayed his techniques and went on to work as well.

“Does my father pay you to get weekly massages, or see a chiropractor?” Jongin questioned while he still focused on his work. “I feel like it’s hard to have good posture while doing this.”

“I try to be as careful as possible. Sometimes, I put heat on it when I get home, or I try to sit upright as much as possible during the day, although I look ridiculous when I do that.” Kyungsoo responded. “I’m okay, though. I’ve been doing this for a while.”

Jongin hummed. “That’s good.” 

“Speaking of your father, how is he? I guess he knows you’re doing a great job here because he hasn’t called me.” Kyungsoo set down one of his tools to pick up another. 

“I haven’t talked to him in a few days. Sehun, I think I mentioned him to you, told me that he’s in Japan right now. He didn’t tell me, so I can’t confirm.” Jongin answered. “Truth be told, we don’t have the closest relationship. It’s clear they favor my older brother.”

Kyungsoo frowned at the comment. He did take note of the fact that Mr. Kim was more firm with Jongin, but he had no place to talk. He didn’t know the situation. 

“I’m sure your father will come back soon. He’s a very busy man.” Was all Kyungsoo could say. 

“Don’t I know it.” Jongin sighed. “What about you? Do you have any siblings? Are you close with your family?”

“I’m an only child and I am very close with my mother and father. They are amazing people.” Kyungsoo smiled when he thought about his parents. “My mother makes the best kimchi in all of South Korea, as far as I’m concerned.”

Jongin laughed. “Wow, don’t make me jealous. My mother can’t even cook a microwave ramen...I would assume. She would never eat something like that.” 

“Really?” Kyungsoo questioned, although he wasn’t all that shocked. “Have you ever had any kind of ramen?”

“Nah, I’ve only ever seen it in stores, or in movies. Even when I was a kid my parents wouldn’t let me have it. We have always had a personal chef. The chef we have now is the son of the one we had until he retired.” Jongin responded. “I know what you’re thinking, fed with a silver spoon, pretentious, uptight, whatever. You can say it, I won’t be offended.”

“I don’t think any of those things about you. We all grow up differently and who am I to think those things about you? I find myself fortunate, too. My parents always did what they could for me and they loved me. That’s enough for me.” Kyungsoo said. 

“I wish I could say the same. I think my parents kept me happy by buying me expensive things, hence why I’m a brat now.” Jongin chuckled lightly. “It’s not entirely their fault since I let them buy my happiness.”

The two went back to working for a little bit until Jongin’s phone rang. He was hyper focused and his hands were occupied, so he answered the call and put it on speaker. 

“Hi.” Jongin said. 

“Kim Jongin,” Mr. Kim sounded furious, “Where are those inventory sheets you were supposed to send me? I needed to compare reports earlier and you completely embarrassed me when I couldn’t find them. If I put you in charge of something, I expect you to be able to do it. I wish Junmyeon was done and he could come take control of the company right now.” He was seething. “Do you need me to come over there and do the work for you? I’m so disappointed in you.” 

Jongin’s face reddened from embarrassment and he quickly set down his tools and took off his gloves before taking his phone off of the speaker and excusing himself. 

Kyungsoo pitied the younger. He knew he had been doing a good job, but he couldn’t interject where he shouldn’t. 

Jongin came back a few minutes later, his mood clearly different. He put his gloves back on and went to work. 

After some time, Kyungsoo set down his tools and turned to look at Jongin. 

“Do you want me to get you anything? Kyungsoo asked. “Are you hungry?”

“Oh, it’s actually on me today.” Jongin finally smiled. “I got some stuff. I hope I don’t burn it, but.I can try.”

“Lead the way.”

Kyungsoo followed Jongin to the kitchen and Jongin took out the items he brought. 

Kyungsoo watched Jongin struggle to turn on the stove and pick up the fish he bought with a disgusted look on his face and throw it into a pan that was way too high of a temperature. Jongin struggled to handle the situation and Kyungsoo kindly interjected. 

“Do you want to maybe do this together?” Kyungsoo suggested. 

“I’m sorry.” Jongin frowned. “I thought I could maybe be capable. I guess not.” 

“No, no.” Kyungsoo put a hand on Jongin’s bicep to comfort him. “You’re definitely capable. If you don’t do something perfectly the first time, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure.”

“Try telling that to my father.” Jongin sighed. “He spent the whole time on the phone yelling at me and the documents I sent to him were there all along.”

“I was thinking about calling him tonight and telling him you’re doing a great job, but I’m glad he realized you actually sent the items.” Kyungsoo removed the fish from the pan and turned the temperature down. 

“You don’t have to do that for me. I should have made it clearer that I sent the documents.” Jongin went to the bag and took out one of the stews he bought. 

“I hope you’ll stop being so hard on yourself.” Kyungsoo didn’t like to hear how negative Jongin was being on himself. “You’re doing your best.”

Jongin couldn’t help but laugh. “You and Sehun are pretty much the only people who would tell me that.” He said. “You know, I didn’t even realize that I was treating my own friend pretty poorly. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I never realized how uptight I was. One time, a childhood friend of my father gave me a pair of nice shoes and my dad threw them away because they weren’t nice enough leather. I didn’t even think twice about it and was actually offended that I would be given something like that.” 

It did sound pretty pretentious, Kyungsoo had to admit, but he needed to remember that Jongin was born into that lifestyle. 

Kyungsoo put the fish back into the pan. “You’re learning, though. You can be more conscious of how you treat your friend and you can do what makes you happy. I know your father is my boss, but you deserve to pave your own path.”

“I appreciate it.” Jongin responded. “Would you maybe want to go get dinner tonight? I was thinking it would be nice to get some ramen. We should go to, what, a Japanese restaurant? I drove, so I can take you home.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo questioned. “You want to go to dinner with me?” 

“Of course.” Jongin said. “If you want to. I don’t know if you already have dinner plans.”

“I don’t.” Kyungsoo shook his head. “So, sure. That sounds great to me.”

The two finished preparing lunch (Kyungsoo, mostly) and went on with the rest of their day. Kyungsoo continuously praised Jongin throughout the day and Jongin was more confident in his abilities, thanks to the craftsman. Together, they nearly completed another piece of the order they had been stressed over. 

Jongin drove them to a restaurant Kyungsoo mentioned. Neither had ever been there, but Kyungsoo said it was a really popular place. 

Jongin was more than pleased to find out that the food was, indeed, incredible and he could find amazing food in so many different places. Part of him was still concerned he would get sick, but he knew it was irrational. He was having too much fun with Kyungsoo to even think about anything else. 

“I’ll grab that book I told you about. I promise, it’s worth a read.” Kyungsoo took out the key to his apartment. “You can come on in, see my cat.”

“You have a cat?” Jongin questioned. “I’m a little jealous because I was never allowed to have a pet and really wanted to have a cat.”

“Well, you can come over whenever you want and see Meokmul.” Kyungsoo opened the door and let Jongin in. 

“I’ll set this in the kitchen and I’ll be right back. Meokmul is here somewhere.” Kyungsoo headed toward the kitchen. He was putting a to-go order in his kitchen that he got for Jiwoon, who he was going to invite over once Jongin left. 

“I’ll go check to see if Meokmul is in my room.” Kyungsoo excused himself and went down the hall. 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Kyungsoo held a hand to his heart. “You scared the shit out of me.” 

“Sorry, babe.” Jongin heard Jiwoon’s voice. “I was trying to surprise you. Where were you?”

“I was getting dinner after work.” Kyungsoo said, their voices getting closer. “Have you seen Meokmul?”

“Uh, he was in your office earlier. He probably got tired of waiting.” Jiwoon responded. 

“Well, I didn’t know you were going to be here.” Kyungsoo said. “Otherwise I would have told you I wasn’t home.”

“Still, you’re never o- oh.” Jiwoon came into the main room and paused when he saw Jongin.

“Oh, hi. Jiwoon, right?” Jongin questioned. “I’m just getting a book from Kyungsoo.” 

“What book? There’s a bookstore in the city you could go to.” Jiwoon crossed his arms. 

“Ji, I offered to lend it to him.” Kyungsoo looked at his boyfriend. “Also, I brought you chicken katsu, if you’re hungry.”

“You’re so considerate, babe.” Jiwoon sauntered over to Kyungsoo and kissed him. “Go ahead, get the book.” 

“Uh, okay.” Kyungsoo said before looking at Jongin. “I’ll be right back. Also, sorry for swearing earlier.”

Jongin smiled in reply and Kyungsoo went to his office. 

“So, Soo works at your dad’s company?” Jiwoon ushered Jongin to the couch. “That company is pretty nice.”

“Yeah, my father adores Kyungsoo. He’s a really talented craftsman. I just met him not too long ago, but he’s been treating me really well.” Jongin nodded. 

“I’m sure.” Jiwoon eyed Jongin up and down. “I’ve been with him for a year and a half and he’s treated me really well.” 

“That’s nice.” Jongin responded. He didn’t like the way Jiwoon looked at him.

“Yep. What about you? Are you dating? Surely you are.” Jiwoon grinned. “Look at you, you must have people after you all of the time. You’re gorgeous.” 

“Oh...thanks?” Jongin furrowed his brow. 

“So you think you’re attractive.” Jiwoon crossed his arms. 

“No, I was just saying thank you.” Jongin clarified. 

“Something tells me you like the attention.” Jiwoon sent an insincere smile in Jongin’s direction. “And something else tells me that you don’t care who it’s from, man or woman, old or young, you like it all.”

“Woah, what are you trying to do here?” Jongin was taken aback. 

“What I’m trying to say is that Kyungsoo is my boyfriend, let’s make that clear. You don’t touch him, alright? “Jiwoon glared at Jongin.

“Jiwoon, what’s your problem?” Kyungsoo didn’t sound pleased. Jiwoon quickly got up and looked at his boyfriend. 

“Babe, come on.” Jiwoon said. “You can’t really think this guy doesn’t have bad intentions, right? Living off of daddy’s money and he just happened to meet you and is suddenly treating you?”

“Stop. He’s my boss as much as his father is. You’re embarrassing me. How could you say something like that?” Kyungsoo raised his voice. 

“Look at him, he’s handsome and he has money. He could get anyone in the world but he’s going after a craftsman who has a boyfriend?” Jiwoon furrowed his brow. “I don’t like this.”

“Out.” Kyungsoo said. “Get out.”

“What?” Jiwoon’s tone changed.

“Give me your key and get out. We need to have a talk, but not now.” Kyungsoo extended his hand. “The key.”

“Wait, it’s okay. I’ll go” Jongin got up. “See you.”

“Jongin, wait.” Kyungsoo called after Jongin, but he hurriedly left and went home. 

One thing was certain for Jongin, he really disliked Jiwoon. 

…

“Good morning, Jongin.” 

Jongin woke up as soon as he heard his father’s voice.

“What are you doing home?” Jongin slowly sat up and squinted at his father. “What time is it?”

“It’s three in the morning. I just got back from my trip.” Mr. Kim said. “In the morning, you will be staying home. I need to meet with Kyungsoo and see how you are doing there. I’ll be very disappointed if I hear anything negative.” He crossed his arms. “The trip was exhausting. I’m already in a bad mood because I had to go first-class on a plane instead of in our jet. Can you believe that? Mr. Lin is really testing my patience. He didn’t check to see if we had enough gas.” 

“Oh,” Jongin couldn’t process that much information in the morning, “Okay. I can’t come with you, though?”

“No. You and your mother will prepare arrangements. Junmyeon will be visiting for two days. You two will go to a wine tasting and then you need to get a new suit.” Mr. Kim uncrossed his arms. 

“I can’t wear a suit I already have?” Jongin ran a hand through his hair. 

“Ha.” Mr. Kim let out a laugh. “I’ve never heard you question getting a new suit. You usually turn your nose up to the idea of wearing a suit twice, as you should. My thought is, if you have worn it once, it’s too risky to wear it again. Heaven forbid you’re photographed in the same suit twice.”

“Alright, sure thing.” Jongin responded. “Can I go back to sleep?”

“Yes, you may.” Mr. Kim walked back towards the door. “It’s good to see you again, Jongin.” 

…

Jongin spent the day going suit shopping and tasting wine. He was exhausted. However, he was more than excited to see his brother. 

As soon as Junmyeon walked through the door, Jongin hurriedly went over to hug him. 

“Junmyeon!” Jongin hugged his brother tightly. “It’s good to see you.” 

“You as well.” Junmyeon hugged his brother back. “Look at you, as handsome as ever. You’re starting to look more and more like me.”

Jongin grinned. “The taller version, though.”

Junmyeon grinned back. “Still a brat.” He said. 

They got situated at the table and, before Jongin sat down, he excused himself and went to Sehun’s room. 

“Sehun?” Jongin knocked. 

Sehun opened the door, a surprised look on his face. 

“Hey, Jongin.” Sehun relaxed. “Aren’t you having dinner with Junmyeon?” 

“Yeah, but I want you to come eat with us. You’re part of this family, Sehun.” Jongin said. “I’m really sorry for being such a brat. You’ve never judged me for the way I acted and I’ve been really uptight. I’m sorry.”

“Who are you and what did you do with Jongin?” Sehun said. “I’m joking. Jongin, you don’t have to apologize. You’re my best friend and, trust me, I can see how you would be a bit more picky. I’ve known your family for quite some time. Trust me, I get it.”

“Thanks, Sehun.” Jongin smiled. “Come on.”

Jongin came back with Sehun, which initially raised some brows, but Junmyeon was happy to see the younger, so it was masked. Plus, the Kims adored Sehun. 

.

“I’ve been trying to get Jongin to do half of the things you do, Junmyeon.” Mr. Kim set down his fork. “He doesn’t even hold a candle. Mr. Do did say nice things about his work, though.”

“I’m sure Jongin is doing really well. It’s about time you let him show his abilities, dad.” Junmyeon picked up his glass of wine. 

“I don’t know about that. He will probably have to wait until, at least thirty, to get close to your level.He messed me up in a meeting yesterday. It was so horribly embarrassing and I almost told him to go home then and there.” Mr. Kim talked about Jongin like he wasn’t there.

“Did he really?” Mrs. Kim asked. “Jongin, you weren't being careful?”

“I was.” Jongin tried to defend himself. “I put together all of the documents and emailed them to dad.”

“You should have let me know. Junmyeon would have never done that. Look, Mr. Park and Mr. Do are amazing at their jobs and I don’t expect you to do as well as them, but I expect something. I can promise you that the organization would have been perfect if Mr. Do did it. Even the building looks a mess. Do you think you could be the janitor instead?” He laughed. 

“Dad,” Junmyeon looked at his father, “Stop.”

“It’s true!” Mr. Kim pressed on. “Maybe he should just carry on the Kim name. We will find a nice girl for you, Jongin.” He finally looked at his son. “We can even do that for you since, knowing you, you would end up picking someone horrible.” 

Jongin took his napkin off of his lap and sat up. 

“You know what?” Jongin threw his napkin on the table. “If you’re going to keep treating me like I’m incapable of doing anything and helping you with the company, then I don’t want to be here. Don’t follow me.” He took his jacket off of the back of the chair and took his bag from where he put it yesterday when he came home. 

Mrs. Kim started to get up when Jongin left and she heard one of the cars, but Junmyeon shook his head. 

“No, he has every right to be upset. Let him go.” Junmyeon said. 

At least Jongin knew he had a place to sleep peacefully for the night.

…

“Jongin?” Kyungsoo flipped the light switch on in the main building back room. 

Jongin was slouched on the couch, arms crossed and eyes closed. 

“Hm.” Kyungsoo hummed when he set his items on the table in the room. 

The sound must have woken up Jongin, because he straightened out and stretched before standing up. 

“Oh, hi, Kyungsoo. Sorry, I was expecting to not be here by the time you arrived.” Jongin cracked his neck. 

“Are you okay? You weren’t here yesterday.” Kyungsoo asked. 

“My father told me not to show up.” Jongin responded. “He wanted you to evaluate me and me being here would ruin that, I guess.” He sighed. 

Kyungsoo heaved a sigh of relief. 

“I thought you didn’t come because you were upset with me.” Kyungsoo said. 

“Upset with you? Why? Because of Jiwoon?”” When Kyungsoo nodded, Jongin smiled. “No, he’s your boyfriend. I should have realized I made it seem like I was the bad guy.”

“You did nothing wrong, you know that, right?” Kyungsoo furrowed his brow. “He was completely out of line. I told him I need some space. “

“I just don’t want to get in the way of anything.”Jongin responded. 

“You won’t.” Kyungsoo shook his head. “What are you doing here, though? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but, have you been here all night?”

Jongin bitterly chuckled. “My father was treating me like a child and basically saying all I’m good for is carrying on the Kim name, which I can’t do, mind you, so I got frustrated. At least Junmyeon is there, so he’s probably fine without me.”

“That’s not true. I even showed him the amazing work you have done and said you have been the best thing to happen to this place while Chanyeol is gone.” Kyungsoo said. “Don’t listen to him.” He frowned. “And, not that it’s the only thing you’re good for, but why can’t you carry on the name? Do you want to adopt, or something?”

“Uh,” Jongin rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Not exactly. I mean, maybe? It’s just that my dad keeps trying to set me up with women and I really don’t think I‘m interested.”

“Have you actually mentioned it to him?” Kyungsoo questioned. “I mean, maybe you’re asexual. He can’t make you be with someone if you don’t want to be.”

“I’m not asexual, but it’s the...well, I don’t know. Do I even like women? I can’t explain that one to my father so, needless to say, I’m keeping my mouth shut.” Jongin pocketed his hands. “Sorry, first world problems.”

“No, that’s a concern you have and that’s absolutely valid.” Kyungsoo responded. “However, I have a feeling you need to get your mind off of things, so how about we do some ceramics?”

…

“You’ve got a little…” Kyungsoo pointed at his jawline. 

“Clay?” Jongin wiped at his cheek, causing more clay to get on his face. 

Jongin and Kyungsoo had practiced throwing pots on the wheel earlier in the day before they worked on the furniture. When they had to work on the furniture, they took a break from ceramics and returned to it later in the day. 

“Here.” Kyungsoo wiped his hands on a clean rag he kept next to him before bringing it over to Jongin and tilting Jongin’s head to the side, so he could get the clay. 

“I’ll also make a mental note to not wear a suit.” Jongin chuckled. His navy blue suit jacket was haphazardly thrown next to him when the sleeves kept falling down while he was throwing pottery. Partially dry clay remnants decorated the fabric of the suit jacket. 

“Good idea” Kyungsoo smiled. “You’re going to go home tonight?” 

“I guess I should. I don’t have anything else to wear and I feel badly because Junmyeon’s there.” Jongin sighed. “I guess I have to face them eventually.”

“Have you ever wanted to move and live on your own?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“Definitely.” Jongin chuckled. “I hoped that I could do my own thing and maybe live with my friend Sehun, who also lives with us. He makes a good roommate and we have known each other for so long.” He paused. “My parents wouldn’t approve of it, anyway. Plus, they support me.”

“Hmm.” Kyungsoo hummed. “Maybe eventually, you never know.”

“Yeah, when I get a wife and have children, according to my father.” Jongin sarcastically laughed. “So, needless to say, I’m trapped for life.”

“Wel...do you want to stay at my place tonight? I wouldn’t want you to sleep here again. Plus, I can make dinner for us.” Kyungsoo suggested. 

“All I have is this suit and, well, you can see the state that it’s in.” Jongin motioned to his suit jacket. 

“I can wash it for you. Just make sure you at least tell Junmyeon, so he doesn’t worry.” Kyungsoo said. “Or you can invite Sehun over and he can bring you stuff.”

“You’re serious.” Jongin was baffled. “Really?”

“Absolutely.” Kyungsoo nodded. 

“I really owe you.” Jongin smiled at Kyungsoo. He was excited to spend time with the craftsman. 

…

Jongin and Kyungsoo cleaned up and Jongin put Kyungsoo’s bicycle in his car before driving them to his apartment. 

Just as they were about to walk up the stairs, Jongin paused. 

“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo turned around to look at him, hands on the handles of his bike. 

“I think I have a bag in this car from the time I was supposed to go to the gym with Sehun. It’s one of the nicest gyms around here and, as Sehun and I were about to go, my father ran out and berated me for going to a ‘filthy establishment’ and ‘subjecting them to a possible illness from the gym’ and I couldn’t go.” Jongin went to his trunk. He smiled when he pulled out a red leather zip-up bag and closed his trunk. 

“I should have some gym clothes in here.” Jongin continued to the apartment with Kyungsoo. 

“Great. I wanted to offer you some clothes while I wash yours, but I don’t think my clothes will fit you.” Kyungsoo replied. 

“Probably not.” Jongin laughed. “Here, let me get that.”

Kyungsoo tried to argue that he could bring his bike up, but Jongin insisted and Kyungsoo gave in. 

Once they got into the apartment, Kyungsoo let Jongin shower and took his clothes to wash. Kyungsoo showered afterwards before making them dinner. 

“I hope the mediocre food we have been enjoying together has lowered your standards enough for you to enjoy my cooking.” Kyungsoo opened one of the drawers in his kitchen to pull out a spatula, drops of water falling from his hair and onto his gray shirt. 

“Oh, stop.” Jongin went to sit at the island in the kitchen. “You’re amazing. I want to help you, but I’m the one that would mess everything up.”

“This isn’t a very labor intensive meal, so maybe we can cook together next time.” Kyungsoo took out a cutting board and knife. 

“Deal.” Jongin smiled. “So, are you just good at eve-“

Jongin was cut off by a knock on the door. 

Kyungsoo set the knife down and went to the door. 

“It’s Jiwoon.” Kyungsoo whispered.

“I can go to the balcony, or into another room.” Jongin responded. “And I can leave if you make an excuse to get him somewhere where he can’t see me.”

“No, it’s okay.” Kyungsoo said. “He should trust me. Plus, I said I needed space and clearly he didn’t take that seriously.”

Jongin could only nod and sit nervously in the chair. 

“Soo, hey!” Jiwoon said, going in for a kiss. 

Kyungsoo turned his head to get out of the way. 

“I thought I told you I needed space.” Kyungsoo crossed his arms. 

“Whatever, you didn’t mean that. You know you missed me.” Jiwoon smirked. “It’s been a while since you and I ha-“ 

“Stop.” Kyungsoo grimaced. 

“Why? You’re acting like a prude.” Jiwoon furrowed his brow. He looked over and met Jongin’s eyes. 

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Jiwoon glared at Kyungsoo. “Are you cheating on me?”

“What? No.” Kyungsoo responded. “I work with him. He’s going through some stuff, so I offered for him to come over.”

“His hair is wet and he’s wearing sweatpants, I’m pretty sure that’s not attire for work. Did you two shower together?” Jiwoon raised his voice. 

“No, Jiwoon.” Kyungsoo said. “You’re doing a really good job of proving we shouldn’t mend this relationship.”

“I am? You’re cheating on me!” Jiwoon ran a hand through his hair while he sighed deeply. “I told you to stay away from this guy.”

“I work for his family!” Kyungsoo responded. “Plus, he’s my friend.”

Jiwoon shoved Kyungsoo back and caught off-guard. He wasn’t hurt, but he did fall. 

“Hey,” Jongin got up and shoved Jiwoon, “What’s your problem? That’s your boyfriend.”

“It’s your fault I did that.” Jiwoon grabbed Jongin’s collar. “It’s your fault all of this is happening.”

“It’s not my fault you’re insecure. If you trusted your boyfriend, there would be no issues.” Jongin wasn’t fazed by Jiwoon. 

“Fuck you.” Jiwoon punched Jongin in the cheek. 

“Jiwoon!” Kyungsoo yelled and pushed him away from Jongin. “Get out right now. We’re over.”

“Good.” Jiwoon responded. “I don’t know why I kept you around so long. I guess I felt badly because you’re a loser and I’m way out of your league. Besides, Jongin is more my type anyway. You’re way too passive, Kyungsoo.”

“Out.” Kyungsoo pointed at the door. “Never come back.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Jiwoon opened the door. “Call me when you actually get a personality.”

As soon as Jiwoon closed the door, Kyungsoo locked it. 

“Jongin, I am so, so sorry. I invited you over and you got hurt.” Kyungsoo leaned back on the door. “Jesus.”

“I’m fine, really.” Jongin said. “I’m more worried about you.”

Kyungsoo was visibly upset, so Jongin took his wrist and gently led him to his couch. 

“I know you don’t want to talk about it and, while I would cook by myself instead, I really don’t want to burn your place down. Therefore, I’m going to order takeout.” Jongin pat Kyungsoo’s knee. 

After Jongin ordered, he sat back down next to Kyungsoo and tried his best to comfort him. 

“It’s funny.” Kyungsoo said, tongue in cheek. “I’m not that upset about losing him. I definitely gave him the benefit of the doubt one too many times. He always knew how to make me succumb to pressure from him and kind of mold myself into the submissive person I became around him. It wasn’t until recently that I was able to tell him off—maybe this was long overdue.” He sighed. “It just bothers me that he felt the need to degrade my character.”

“Well, what I can say is that none of what he said is true. You have your own personality, and a great one at that. You are the one who is so far out of his league that it’s not even funny. Trust me, he has zero redeeming qualities. I also find it funny that he called you a loser when you’re an extremely talented craftsman and so much so that my grandfather saw your work and wanted you to work with him. I always knew he had good taste.” Jongin smiled. 

Kyungsoo finally looked at Jongin and managed a smile. 

“Thank you, really.” Kyungsoo said. “I wish your father would see you the way I do. If he did, he’d step down and let you take over the place.”

Jongin laughed. “I don’t think that will ever happen, but I appreciate it.” He paused. “You know, the whole business part is important, but I’m really enjoying the hands-on stuff. I wouldn’t be upset doing that instead.”

Kyungsoo’s face lit up. “Really? I’d love to have you around. You would be a lot of help and maybe add some new conversations into the mundane ones Chanyeol and I have. You can only talk so much before you end up retelling stories.”

“I’ll definitely take it into consideration. It’s just a thought right now.” Jongin responded.

The food arrived not long after and the two ate together. Kyungsoo seemed a little better by the time they were going to sleep. Once again, Jongin insisted on taking the couch, while Kyungsoo insisted he take the bed. Kyungsoo had to eventually give in and the two said goodnight before going to sleep.

...

Jongin decided to go home after he worked the next day. He was worried to see his father, but he couldn’t avoid it anymore. 

When Jongin walked into his home, his parents were still not home, so he went to Sehun’s room and knocked on the door. 

“Jongin?” Sehun tilted his head in curiosity when he opened the door.

“Hey, Sehun.” Jongin smiled at his best friend. “Sorry about leaving abruptly the other day.”

“No, I don’t blame you.” Sehun responded. “Come in.” 

Sehun and Jongin sat on the edge of Sehun’s bed. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun frowned. “For the record, Junmyeon was really upset with your father.”

“He’s always good to me.” Jongin said. 

“Where did you stay the past couple of nights?” Sehun asked. 

“The company the first night and Kyungsoo’s the other. I don’t know if you know him, but he’s one of the craftsmen who works in the company.”

“Oh, wow.” Sehun looked shocked. “Do you two get along well?”

“Yeah, he’s really great.” Jongin smiled while he talked about Kyungsoo. “He’s super nice and talented. I have gone to his place before because I dropped him off one night it was raining and his boyfriend threw a fit and said some nasty things. Even though he had all of that going on, he comforted me and listened to my issues.”

“Wow, he sounds great.” Sehun responded. “Do you have a picture of him? I need a face to put with the name.”

“Maybe there is one on the company website. I’ll check.” Jongin took out his phone and searched through the website before finding a page titled ‘meet the craftsmen’. “Here.” He showed Sehun.

“Oh, wow, he’s cute.” Sehun zoomed in on the photo. “Both of them are really good looking.”

“Yeah, they both are for sure. Kyungsoo is really stunning and that’s why it pissed me off when his boyfriend said that he was out of Kyungoo’s league and that Kyungsoo was a loser. He actually punched me.” Jongin chuckled. 

“I was going to ask why your cheekbone looked kind of bruised.” Sehun turned Jongin’s face to look better. 

“I don’t regret it. At least Kyungsoo was smart enough to break up with the guy. He was toxic.” Jongin looked at Sehun. 

“Hmm, well, it sounds like you like him.” Sehun retracted his hand. “You do, don’t you?”

“I...never thought about it like that.I just had the revelation that I like males, so the idea is really new to me.” Jongin shrugged. 

“Well, you know I’m an expert in that category, so I’ll cheer you on.” Sehun held up his fist and smiled. 

“Thanks, Sehun. I really appreciate it.” Jongin hugged his best friend. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to mentally prepare myself for when my father gets home. 

…

“Wow, look who is coming to dinner.” Mr. Kim said when Jongin came to the dining room. “Good timing.”

“Honey, your father has something to tell you.” Mrs. Kim smiled in her son’s direction. 

Jongin glanced over to Junmyeon before looking at his father. 

His father picked up his wine glass and ran his index finger around the rim. 

“We’re going to have products for sale overseas and we need someone to find a prospective location. Mr. Park’s arm is still broken, but he insists on going back and doing some of the carving.” Mr. Kim took a drink of wine. “So, you’re going to go overseas and take care of finding a location. You aren’t ready to completely pick out a new one, so we went through many options and are stuck between three.”

“Wait, what about the business? Someone needs to help there.” Jongin’s hand froze over the fork he was going to pick up.

“Mr. Park is going back. Yes, we will still be behind, but at least both of the real craftsmen can take control.” Mr. Kim said. 

“I’m sorry, but I would rather stay here. I enjoy working on the furniture and I love making ceramics. It’s been rewarding and Kyungsoo has been praising my work. I think I could help them and we could get the furniture done even faster.” Jongin responded. 

“You will be going overseas. It was crazy to even have someone inexperienced working on our products. Additionally, the trip will be approximately three months, unless it can be done faster.” Mr. Kim put his napkin on his lap and cleared his throat. 

“But-“ Jongin tried to speak, but his father held up his hand to stop him. 

“Dad, give Jongin a shot. He can do it.” Junmyeon tried to defend his brother. You love going overseas, why don’t you and mom go?”

“I have to agree. I think it might be nice to go overseas again. It’s been way too long. I think the last time we went for an extended period of time was two months ago, wow.” Mrs. Kim took a bread roll from the basket on the table. 

“No, Jongin will be going overseas and that’s final.” Mr. Kim’s expression intimidated Jongin too much to argue. 

“How long do I have before I leave?” Jongin sighed. 

“Three days.”

…

Kyungsoo knew something was up with Jongin. The younger seemed off, almost aloof. At one point, curiosity got the best of Kyungsoo and he pulled a stool next to the one Jongin was sitting on in front of the wheel and placed his hand on Jongin’s bicep. 

“Jongin, hey.” Kyungsoo tried to meet Jongin’s eyes. “Can you pause for a second?”

Jongin couldn’t say no to Kyungsoo, especially since the younger was one of the few people who genuinely wanted to know how he was feeling. 

Jongin took his foot off of the petal and wiped his hands on a rag. 

“What’s going on? Can you talk to me?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“Uh,” Jongin sighed, “I had a pretty unpleasant discussion with my father last night.”

“What happened?” Kyungsoo frowned. 

“He said I’m not qualified to be here and that I am better off checking out some locations overseas to see where we can sell some of our products. He’s sending me out for around three months and I won’t even be able to come back after I do.” Jongin managed to say. 

Kyungsoo’s expression changed and he also looked upset. “When do you have to go?”

“Two days.” Jongin responded. “I tried to argue with him and Junmyeon tried, too. Hell, even my mother did, but my father wasn’t having it.”

“That soon?” Kyungsoo questioned. “I won’t get to see you anymore?”

“If my father lets me come over here sometimes, maybe. But I had never met you until I had to come here, so I’m not sure.” Jongin turned to get a better look at Kyungsoo. “That’s the most upsetting thing for me. I’m going to miss you and Sehun so much, but it’s so great to see you every day here. You’re always attentive and, I don’t know, I just really enjoy your company.”

“I enjoy your company, too. I didn’t want to say I would miss you first because I didn’t want to be selfish.” Kyungsoo chuckled, although he was far from happy. “I guess the most we can do is try to enjoy our time together, huh?”

Jongin nodded. “You’re right.” 

Although their conversation was essentially over, Kyungsoo kept his hand on Jongin’s bicep and they continued to look at each other. Something in Jongin was begging him to do something, to kiss Kyungsoo, but Jongin couldn’t. Kyungsoo just went through a break up and had to fall out of love with Jiwoon before Jongin even tried. Unfortunately, Jongin might be too late, since he would be abroad. 

Luckily, the tension was broken with a phone call and Kyungsoo excused himself to take the call. 

Jongin was more confused than ever. 

…

“I don’t want you to leave.” Sehun helped Jongin pick out some clothing to take. “What am I supposed to do without you? Both you and Junmyeon will be gone? This isn’t fair.” He frowned. 

I’m going to miss you, too.” Jongin responded. “A lot.”

Sehun huffed and sat on Jongin’s bed. “Are you going in today?”

“Yeah, I am going in a little later because I have to deliver some blueprints for my father on the way. They’re thinking of building an extension onto the business for more projects and supplies.” Jongin took his briefcase that was on his dresser and made sure the blueprints were in it. “I’ll be back tonight. Maybe we can have dinner together. Junmyeon can tag along, too.” Junmyeon had decided to stay for a little bit longer to spend time with Jongin before he left. 

“Great.” Sehun managed to smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Jongin left not long after his conversation with Sehun and dropped off the blueprints before picking up some items from the bakery and bringing them to Kyungsoo. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Junmyeon. 

“Little brother,” Junmyeon smiled when he saw Jongin, “Kyungsoo’s been showing me your contributions. I had never seen them in person and I have to say that you exceeded my expectations. When I heard you were good, I wasn’t expecting all of this.”

“Wow, thank you.” Jongin was a bit taken aback by the compliments. “Uh, do you want a pastry?”

“Sure,” Junmyeon laughed, “Thank you.”

Junmyeon and Kyungsoo made their way over and Kyungsoo offered a small smile to Jongin. 

Once Junmyeon had a pastry, he left and Jongin and Kyungsoo worked on the furniture. 

After some silence, Kyungsoo spoke up. 

“I can’t believe you leave tomorrow.” Kyungsoo said. “I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

“I know, it’s so last minute.” Jongin responded. “I wish I could have presented myself better and my father would approve of what I’m doing.”

“None of this is happening because you did something wrong.” Kyungsoo stopped what he was doing. “Do you understand that?”

Jongin shrugged. “I’m not convinced.” 

The two fell into another silence and continued to work. 

When it got closer to the time they had to leave, the duo cleaned up and made their way into the main building. 

When they entered, Jongin and Kyungsoo were surprised to see Junmyeon and Sehun. They hadn’t even heard the door open. 

“I figured we could all eat together.” Junmyeon grinned. “Sehun told me about the plan and Kyungsoo should definitely be included.”

Jongin smiled broadly at his brother. “Thanks, Ju.”

“Of course.” Junmyeon set everything on the counter. “Made by the one and only Mr. Byun.”

When Kyungsoo tried the food, he wasn’t surprised that Jongin initially insisted on only eating his chef’s food. 

“Wow, this is amazing.” Kyungsoo said after taking a bite.

“Right? I’m no Kim, but I do get to eat like them.” Sehun joked. “It’s good to finally meet you, by the way.”

“You as well. Jongin talks about you a lot.” Kyungsoo took a piece of meat from the container and put it on Jongin’s plate. 

“He talks about you a lot, as well.” Sehun side-eyed his best friend. “All great things.”

Kyungsoo laughed. “That’s a relief.”

After the group ate, Sehun and Junmyeon gave Jongin some time to say goodbye to Kyungsoo. 

“I know you’ll be busy, but we can still message each other, right?” Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin. 

“Of course. I don’t think I’ll be able to miss a day where I don’t talk to you. You’re going to get sick of me.” Jongin tried to sound happy. “Let me know if Jiwoon, or anyone, messes with you. I’ll fly over here and beat them up.”

“Maybe you’ll be more prepared this time instead of getting caught off guard like that.” Kyungsoo gestured to Jongin’s bruise. 

“No kidding.” Jongin sighed. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Jongin.” Kyungsoo enveloped Jongin into a hug. 

“Goodbye, Kyungsoo.

…

When Jongin got home, he arrived after Sehun and Junmyeon. It was dark out, but he tried to spend as much time with Kyungsoo as possible. 

Jongin opened the door and nearly jumped when his father was right at the door. 

“Let’s talk, Jongin.” Mr. Kim said. 

Jongin didn’t have anything to lose, so he followed his father into the study, where his mother and Junmyeon already were. 

Mr. Kim sat down at his desk and looked at his son expectantly. 

“Are you all packed?” Mr. Kim asked his son. 

“Just about.” Jongin responded. “Yeah.”

“Well, Junmyeon and I talked. As you know, he went to the business today and saw some of your work. I apologize for not recognizing your talents because I should have. I never want to put one son above the other, so I apologize again for not realizing any of this until Junmyeon talked with me.” Mr. Kim paused and looked over at his wife. “We want you to stay at the company. Your mother and I will be going abroad and checking out the locations. We are actually looking forward to it. You will be completely in charge of the house, since Junmyeon won’t be here by the time we are done. When we get back, we will discuss a lot more things because I know you want to be independent and you taking care of yourself those days you weren’t home showed us that we need to allow that. I truly apologize for not believing in you, Jongin.” 

Jongin had to stop his jaw from dropping. “Thank you so much. I won’t let you down.” 

“I know you won’t.” Mr. Kim smiled. “Go unpack.”

Jongin hugged his parents before going to his room with Junmyeon in tow. 

When Jongin and Junmyeon were in Jongin’s room, Jongin hugged his brother tightly. 

“Thank you, Junmyeon.” Jongin said. 

“Of course. All I told dad was the truth.” Junmyeon hugged his brother back before separating. “Now that you’re staying, isn’t there something you need to do? Someone you need to tell you’re staying, perhaps?”

Jongin grinned. “I do, but I want to tell him in person.”

“I like the sound of that.”

…

Kyungsoo would be by himself for one more day until Chanyeol came back. He was looking forward to seeing Chanyeol, but he already missed Jongin. Kyungsoo had to come to terms that he developed feelings for the younger. He didn’t know it would happen as quickly as it did, but Kyungsoo wasn’t mad about it. 

Kyungsoo cleaned his glasses before getting up and getting some more wood. He sat back down and picked up his tools before getting to work. He heard the door behind him, but he figured it was Mr. Kim coming to explain the new plan to Kyungsoo, or maybe it was Chanyeol coming in early. 

“It’s looking really good.”

That voice wasn’t Mr. Kim’s or Chanyeol’s. 

Kyungsoo turned around and was in awe when he saw Jongin. 

“What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo set down his tools and began to pull off his gloves. 

“Junmyeon talked with my father and my parents are going on the trip. I’m in charge of everything while he’s gone, and I’m officially working here. Sorry, you’re stuck with me.” Jongin grinned. 

Kyungsoo didn’t know he had it in him, but he shot up and hugged Jongin. 

“Is it bad that I’m overjoyed right now?” Kyungsoo's voice vibrated through Jongin’s chest, since the shorter’s face was buried in Jongin’s neck. 

“You say that now but give it a month.” Jongin laughed. 

“Hey,” Kyungsoo backed away enough to look at Jongin, “We’ve been around each other quite a lot and I’m not sick of you. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Jongin smiled. “I’ve learned a lot of things while being around you.”

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo couldn’t wait to tell him. He needed the younger to know, “Jongin, I like you.”

“I like you too, Kyungsoo, a lot. I wanted to tell you, but I know you just went through a breakup and I don’t want to make you rush into things with me.” Jongin said. 

Kyungsoo shook his head. “You’ve made me forget about him. I don’t even remember his name. I had an ex?” He joked. “News to me.”

Jongin couldn’t help but laugh at how cute Kyungsoo was. 

“Is this the part where I get to kiss you now?” Jongin asked, although he was already bringing a hand to Kyungsoo’s cheek. 

“It is.” 

…  
Five months later  
…

When Jongin’s parents came back, they praised how well he managed everything and the conversation about independence continued from before they left. 

Jongin was able to provide for himself, so he purchased a nice apartment closer to the city and moved into it with Sehun. The Kims were going to miss Sehun, but he brought the best out in Jongin and they were best friends, after all. 

Kyungsoo spent a lot of time at Sehun and Jongin’s house, along with Sehun’s new partner, Zitao. The four of them got along well, which Jongin was grateful for. Kyungsoo taught Jongin how to cook and the three laughed every time Jongin horribly messed up a meal. 

Jongin never thought that he would be in the place he was. He had the most caring boyfriend in the world, who was not at all boring or a loser like Jiwoon claimed, and he was living with his best friend. 

Jongin’s work in the business was so impressive that Chanyeol joked around about feeling inferior. When Junmyeon came into town, he would take the group out for dinner and told them the incredible stories he had from traveling around the world. 

Business was booming and the addition to the building was extremely beneficial. Plus, it allowed for more glazes and kilns for the pottery, which Jongin loved. 

Jongin could never get tired of working with Kyungsoo and, in the end, could only thank Chanyeol for accidentally breaking his arm, because he probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with Kyungsoo otherwise.


End file.
